Learning Self-Massage Tachniques

Massage is a very important and effective therapy, and in attending massage therapy school, you are learning a very marketable skill. However, massage therapy school can be challenging — there is a lot to do, and there's a lot to learn. Below, you will find some tips to help you survive, thrive, and become a better massage therapist throughout your time in a massage therapy program.

1. Space your classes out.

If you are in a school that allows you to set your own schedule, make sure you space your classes out a little. For instance, instead of taking Anatomy at 8:00 and Client Management at 9:00, take Anatomy at 8:00 and Client Management at 11:00. This arrangement has a few benefits. For one, you will have a little time to review the material after each class, which allows you to keep the material fresh in your mind. Spacing your classes out a little more also gives your attention span a bit of time to recover so you can take in the material more effectively. If you schedule your classes back to back, you'll probably have stopped paying attention by the end of the last class, which means you'll be missing out on important information.

2. Study and practice with a group.

Whenever possible, study with other students rather than on your own. This way, if you come across something you do not understand, the other students can help you figure it out. Also, when you are studying for application classes, you can practice various massage strokes on each other. This is more realistic than practicing on a mannequin or just picturing yourself performing the strokes. You'll emerge a more confident massage therapist if you've had more hands-on practice.

3. Use color-coding to your advantage in anatomy classes.

A good deal of massage therapy school focuses on anatomy. Memorizing where all of the various bones, muscles, and tendons are can be tough. A good way to learn these things is by color-coding. Print some black and white images of the body. Color one muscle red and another blue, for example. Color all of the tendons black, and all of the muscles pink, as another example. Color coding helps you visualize these diagrams later when you're working on patients, which is when you really need to put the knowledge to work.

With the tips above, you can not only survive massage therapy school but excel in the program. Before you know it, you will emerge a qualified massage therapist, and you can move into a rewarding career.

For more information, reach out to a local massage therapy school.